GNU/Linux Filesystem

Computer center

Eng. Ali Al-Obal

2017
 What We Will Learn
Introduction

Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

Directory layout of Linux FS

Help

Mounting

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 Introduction
 Filesystem
 How are data stored in storage?
 How do users access the data?
 Data organization, files and directories

 Filesystem types
 Disk FS: ext2, ext3, FAT, FAT32 & NTFS
 Network FS: Samba & NFS
 Flash FS: JFFS2
 Special FS: proc FS

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 Introduction (cont’d)
 You should understand Linux FS
 Why?

 Everything in Linux is file, if it is NOT process

 Easy to use
 Open file, read/write and close the file

 Unlike Windows, Linux FS is standard FS

 Everyone should learn standards

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 Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
 Started by Dennis Ritchie, 1993

 Defines the main directories and their

contents in most Linux-based systems

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 FHS
 There is not any drive C:, D:, …

 All directories are under “/”

 “/” is the root directory

 It is possible
 to have multiple partitions
 to multiple filesystems

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 The “/”
 The primary hierarchy in FSH
 The root of tree of filesystem

 All paths start form here

 There is only one “/” in filesystem

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 The “/”

boot bin dev etc lib proc root sbin tmp usr var

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 boot
 Linux kernel

 Boot loader configuration

 If you lost boot

 You cannot boot your OS

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 boot

boot

vmlinuz-2.6.12 config-2.6.12 grub

grub.conf

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 bin
 Essential programs

 Need for system startup

 Basic commands for

 Navigatingin filesystem
 File management

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 bin

bin

bash bzip2 cat ... gzip ls mv rm

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 dev
 Everything is file
 Hardware components (devices) are file
 Hard disk
 Key board

 All device files are here

 Direct interaction with device driver

 Open the device file
 Read & Write

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 dev

dev

hda fda sda ... tty random null

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 etc
 System configuration directory
 What is done by the registry in Windows

 All configuration file are text files

 You can view and edit it manually

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 etc

etc

bashrc fstab inittab passwd shadow init.d X11

network named httpd X11.conf

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 home
 Home directory of user

 Each user has a directory

 /home/bahador
 /home/hamed

 All files of user are stored here

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 lib
 Programs need libraries
 Dynamically linked libraries

 Programmers need libraries

 All essential libraries are here

 Needed for system startup

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 lib

lib

libc libm libcrypt libpthread modules

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 proc
 Kernel’s interface
 Kernel pseudo-directory

 Special directory
 It is NOT a directory on hard disk

 Kernel Configuration

 Kernel State monitoring

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 proc

proc

cpuinfo meminfo devices interrupts net sys 1 129

tcp udp net kernel

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 root
 Home directory of root

 Don’t confuse
 / is the “root of Filesystem”
 root is the name of system admin
 /root is the admin

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 sbin
 System configuration programs
 Formathard disk
 Manage hardware

 Only “root” can run the programs

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 sbin

sbin

fsck mkfs mount ... adduser poweroff

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 tmp
 Temporary directory

 All temp files are created by programs

 Your temp files

 It is emptied regularly

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 usr
 Secondary hierarchy

 Very useful programs

 We usually use them
 compiler, tools

 Are not essential for system startup

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 usr

usr

bin doc include lib local sbin src

Linux-2.6.14

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 var
 The variable directory

 All dynamic files

 User cannot change the files

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 var

var

cache lib lock log www named

message boot.log

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 Helps
 Some documents are in /usr/share/doc

 Info pages are not complete help

 info <command name>

 Man pages
 /usr/share/man
 man1: user commands, man8: System administration
 man <command name>

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 Permissions
 There are 3 basic permissions
 Read (r)
 Write (w)
 Execute (x)

 How to find them

 ls -l

 How to change them

 chmod +/- r/w/x <filename>

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 Mounting
 Mount
 To add a filesystem to other filesystem
 Add you cool-disk FS to you laptop FS

 How?
 mount <options> <device> <mount point>
 mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /mnt/flash

 Don’t forget the umount

 umount <mount point>
 umount /mnt/flash

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 Linux FS vs. Windows FS
 There is not drive C:, D:

 Top hierarchy is /

 Path separator is / not \

 File extensions have NOT any meaning

 There is not hidden attribute, hidden files are

started by .

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?
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